1 John 4:8
If anyone does not love other Christians, that shows that they don’t know God at all. God is the one that helps us love other people, and he properly loves people all the time.
Plain English Version
In The King James Version
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
In Context
Cross References
John 8:54Jesus said, “If I tell people that I am great, my words mean nothing. But my father is the one that tells people that I am great. And you reckon that he is your God.
Ephesians 2:4But God didn’t punish us. He felt very sorry for us. He loved us, even though we were doing bad things. It is like our spirits were dead. But he was very good to us, and he saved us. He loved us so much that he made our spirits alive, just like he made Jesus Christ alive.
1 John 1:5Now we are going to tell you mob a special message. Jesus Christ told us that message, and now we are telling it to you. It is about God. He is properly good, and he never does anything bad. He is like a light that’s always really bright and never goes dark at all.
1 John 2:9But think about this. Maybe somebody will say, “I live in God’s light, I live God’s way.” But maybe that person hates another Christian. Then that person is lying. They are not really living God’s way. It’s like they are still living in the dark.
1 John 4:7My friends, we Christians all have to love each other. You know, love comes from God. He is the one that helps us love each other properly. So if we love other Christians properly, that shows that we know God, and we are his kids.
Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:8-14
Brotherly Love. ( a. d. 80.) 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one… Read the whole commentary →